Linebacker Devon Kennard only player drafted on quiet day for USC

It was a disappointing day for USC players Saturday as linebacker Devon Kennard was the only Trojan taken in one of the most underwhelming drafts in school history.

Kennard was the 174th player taken overall in the fifth round by the New York Giants, joining second-round pick Marqise Lee and third-round selection Marcus Martin.

USC led the nation in players drafted (nine) after former coach Lane Kiffin’s first season in 2011. But in the following three seasons, only 10 players were selected.

Safety Dion Bailey, defensive tackle George Uko and tight end Xavier Grimble bypassed their senior seasons and went undrafted. Bailey announced Saturday he would sign as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks. Bailey was recruited to USC by Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.

The Giants said Kennard’s intelligence impressed them during a pre-draft visit.

“He made a great impression,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “He played multiple positions. He’s a tough hard-nosed football player. He was great on the (dry erase) board. He was great on that. He really convinced the coaches he was really a sharp football player.”

That was echoed by Marc Ross, the Giants’ vice president of player evaluation.

“This guy’s one of the sharpest guys we’ve had in terms of football knowledge,” Ross said.